A bill criminalising triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid protests from opposition parties, who objected to its introduction.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a historic day, and stated that the bill was to ensure gender justice for Muslim women.
This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/feFU2W3faF
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
Members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Biju Janata Dal and some other parties spoke against the introduction of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of AIMIM, said the 'bill will do injustice for Muslim women".
No member from the Congress was, however, allowed to speak, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue.
This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/525aKIKrpD
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
It was introduced after a voice vote, as all treasury benches members supported the introduction of the Bill.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 criminalises triple talaq, or oral divorce, and has provision for a maximum three-year jail term and fine for practicing this form of divorce.
It also gives Muslim women right to seek maintenance, and right to child's custody.
In August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of talaq-e-biddat (three pronouncements of talaq, at one and the same time) practiced by certain Muslim husbands to divorce their wives is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".
The bill was supposed to have been introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22. However, it was introduced only on December 28.
The women's wing of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed the judgement as "contradictory" and "fractured".
After that, a draft law was prepared and sent to all the states on December 1, who were asked to reply by December 10, according to The Times of India.
The bill was drafted by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Junior Law Minister PP Chaudhary, reported PTI.